Hello! Anyone out there have success on Cimzia after failing on Remicade and Humira?

Remicade was a miracle drug for me, but I became allergic to it after two years. Switched to Humira, which helped my guts but caused severe joint pain, muscle pain, and fatigue; had to go off of it after two injections. Back on Pred now. Seeing doc on Thursday. Planning on pushing to go on 6-mp or Imuran as I'm not convinced that I'll be able to tolerate Cimzia.

I'm curious if anyone out there had success on Cimzia after trying the other two?

I want to hear this too. I also Loved Remicade and was on it for >5 years. I've been on Humira for the past couple of years but it definitely has not helped my fistula's as much as Remicade. . . to the point where my fistula re-openned after less than a week from my Humira dose (previously it would re-open on day 13).

Humira DID clear up my psoriasis but i'd rather deal with Psoriasis than Fistulas any day. I'm thinking its time to make the switch. I just hope each drug doesnt work progressively less. Yikes.

I was allergic to Humira but not Cimzia. I wasn't on Humira long enough to know if it helped. I see a lot of anecdotal reports from people who failed Humira or Remicade but do well on Cimzia. It's worth giving it a try. They are all similar and have the same mechanism of action but have a different biochemistry.

I had an allergic reaction to Remicade, and Humira did absolutely nothing for me. 4 weeks ago I switched to Cimzia. I will say that, although I have yet to see any improvement, the injections hurt way less than Humira did. I'm crossing my fingers that it helps, but I have heard of many people seeing improvement on Cimzia who had previously been on Remi and Humira. Good luck on your appointment!

Thank you, Essieluv. This is good to hear... I'm torn; part of me just wants to start 6-mp. I have two close relatives who take it or Imuran with good success and although I hate the idea of a couple months of Pred, the pain in my muscles and joints from the Humira was so bad, I'm nervous about trying Cimzia... I will keep you updated. Please keep me updated on your progress with Cim!

Honestly I along with many others find it much less painful than the Humira pen. Yes, you see the needle but you inject on your own terms and don't have that painful press. You can also get your nurse to inject it at the office.

I had an allergic reaction to Remicade (and felt like the only one as I was the first in my state to get it, and they didn't know what to do with me because it wasn't possible that I could be allergic to it).

Humira really didn't do much for me.

I've been on Cimzia for about a year now. I can't say I have gotten as bad as fast as I normally do. We just upped my Cimzia to two shots every two weeks. It kind of sucks, but as long as you warm it up to skin temp, it doesn't hurt anywhere near as bad as Humira does. We're also putting me on Imuran after my surgery that scheduled for July 19th.

__________________30+ years of Crohn's Disease and many strong opinions.Diagnosed - Age 8, 1981
Small Bowel Resections - 6 - had a fistula and 6X8 abscess, as well as some small bowel removed - 9/2/11
New abscess, named Albert! 7/7/12
Prednisone - Way too much & never again!
Cimzia - Started 5/20/11, hoping for the best. Scared that it won't work, like everything else.
Humira/Remicade/Imuran/6MP/Flagyl/ect - Been there, done that & really should get the t-shirt!

What is your update on using the Cimzia? I too was on Remicade (with imuran) then Humira (with small dose, pill form Methotrexate) and now I am trying Cimzia (with IM injection stronger dose Methotrexate). I just took my second loading dose this weekend, and I'm eager to start seeing changes. Wondering if you're having luck with the medication.

Hello KMoose, I wish I could offer you some insight but I didn't end up trying Cimzia, started 6-MP instead. After becoming allergic to Remicade then having crazy things happen to my body on Humira, I was really wanting to get off the biologics and my doc agreed. Pretty miserable on Pred right now but the 6-MP does seem to be kicking in slightly (it's only been 12 days.) So sorry that you're struggling. Please keep me updated. Did Remi and Humi just not work for you?

Any other side effects on Cimzia? I was on Remicade for a year and a half with some very good improvement in my CD. Then I got blood clots in my arms after my last 2 infusions so no more Remicade for me. I switched to Humira in Sept 2012 and don't think it works for me. My doc tried upping the dose to 2 shots a week and I still ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks in March and my 2nd resection surgery in 3 years. Ugh! Im now flaring up again and probably will be switching to Cimzia. I worry about waiting 6 months for the full effect or to see if it even works for me.

C-Runski it won't take 6 months for the full effect on Cimzia. In clinical trials most saw a difference within 3 months time, and some in as little as 8 days as per the Cimzia website. I think I began noticing a difference in 3 weeks.

Essieluv I agree with you a shot of liquid hell had for of them yesterday I have 2 pens left in my starter pack then i will go to the pre filled Syringes because I'm allergic to latex and the pens have a rubber cover on it I'm hoping the pre filled syringes are less painful!!!!

Iblair, I have heard that the syringes are much less painfull than the pens. I think it is because you can control the speed of the injection? I only did the pens, much to my dismay. I wanted to switch to the syringes, but my doctors didn't want to mess with getting my insurance to approve it, since they had been a big pain in the butt just to get approval of the pens.

I feel for ya, the loading dose of four was the worst. I'm really surprised that I didn't pass out when I got it. I always say that it hurt so much it kept me conscious. Good luck with the syringes!!

I will also be switching to Cimzia after Remicade quit working was on it over 10 years. Been toughing it out on Humira almost 4 years and Dr finally agreed to switch to Cimzia. Im also on 150mg of 6mp daily. Also have Rectal Fistulas looking at possible surgery. Hoping the Cimzia works

I was on Remicade and Imuran right from the beginning, immediately after diagnosis. For about 8 months I saw improvements. When they upped my imuran, it made me nauseous, so I was eventually taken off of that and left only with the Remicade. I began to become more symptomatic, so I went in to see my GI doc again, who did a sigmoidoscopy and discovered that I still had some serious ulceration. My Remicade level was upped and I was put on Prednizone (yuck), but as soon as I was off the Pred my symptoms returned, so I was sent to a specialist who did another colonoscopy, an MR enterography and a slew of blood tests to discover that essentially Remicade wasn't working. That's when we tried Humira, small dose methotrexate, and some antibiotics, which I was only on for a few months, and now I'm beginning the Cimzia...

6mp was mentioned in one of my meetings of "what next" before moving on to Cimzia, but my doctor decided to try this out, and I think wants me to consider surgery if it is unsuccessful.

Ugh, yes, love and hate Pred. So sorry you're struggling. From what I know, Imuran and 6-MP are pretty similar but can have different side effects. I had a little trouble with nausea when I started the 6-MP but that seems to have worn off, thankfully. The Remicade was a total life-changer for me. I'm still so bummed that I became allergic to it. I really hope the Cimzia helps you. Did the methotrexate help?

I was on Remicade and Imuran right from the beginning, immediately after diagnosis. For about 8 months I saw improvements. When they upped my imuran, it made me nauseous, so I was eventually taken off of that and left only with the Remicade. I began to become more symptomatic, so I went in to see my GI doc again, who did a sigmoidoscopy and discovered that I still had some serious ulceration. My Remicade level was upped and I was put on Prednizone (yuck), but as soon as I was off the Pred my symptoms returned, so I was sent to a specialist who did another colonoscopy, an MR enterography and a slew of blood tests to discover that essentially Remicade wasn't working. That's when we tried Humira, small dose methotrexate, and some antibiotics, which I was only on for a few months, and now I'm beginning the Cimzia...

6mp was mentioned in one of my meetings of "what next" before moving on to Cimzia, but my doctor decided to try this out, and I think wants me to consider surgery if it is unsuccessful.

~Kelly

To me that seems so drastic. Remicade (and Humira) never kept my CD in check, only the fistulas. I've been on Asacol since diagnosis (occaionally Lomotil for diarrhea) and Asacol is what keeps me in remission.

Asacol is the anti-inflamatory. It sounds like if you have ulcerations that you should be put on something soothing like that. IDK, obviously i'm not a doctor. . .